Kiplinger has compiled a list
of seven U.S. cities where one can find still find relatively cheap housing
rentals. These cities can boast of the ability to be both fun and affordable
for young professionals. Check out Citybook.com's Online
Yellow Pages for detailed information on each of them.
While many young professionals aim to launch their careers in the biggest
cities like Boston,
New
York, Los
Angeles or San
Francisco, many may find satisfaction, and save a lot of money,
by looking beyond the major metropolises. The listed cities all have a
growing "under-30" population and a solid job market. The cost
of living in each is at or close to the national average for students
and young wage earners.
Athens, Georgia
The University of Georgia is located in this college town and
is responsible for the initial creation of Athens and its subsequent
growth. The city offers free Wi-Fi downtown, and a thriving arts community.
The university and two regional hospitals help keep the city's unemployment
rate impressively low. The Athens music scene has included such
1980's breakout groups as the 40 Watt Club, and R.E.M. and the B-52's.
New on the Athens scene are a lot of rap/hip-hop groups include: Black
$quad Click, Big Body, Bad Intentions, GMB, C.E.D., Y.P., Snacks, Fire
Squad and many others. See the Athens,
GA - Online Yellow Pages for more information.
Where to rent: Five Points, West Side, Downtown
What you'll pay: $650-$750 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, or $750-$850
for a two-bedroom unit
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and Georgia's
most populous city, as well as being the center of the ninth most populous
metropolitan area in the United States. It features a fine variety of
museums on subjects ranging from history to fine arts, natural history,
and beverages. The city has a thriving music industry and is home to many
famous hip-hop and R&B musicians. It also ranks fourth among U.S.
cities for wireless hot spots, and ranks third in the number of Fortune
500 companies headquartered in its metropolitan area, behind New
York City and Houston.
Atlanta has more than 30 institutions of higher education, the most prominent
of which include Emory University, Georgia Tech, Georgia
State University, and Oglethorpe University. Scene hoppers
hit Buckhead
for the clubs and Little Five Points for the coffeehouses, bars
and restaurants. See the Atlanta,
GA - Online Yellow Pages for more information.
Where to rent: Midtown, Virginia Highlands, East Atlanta
What you'll pay: $600-$900 a month for a one-bedroom, $800-$1,350 for a two-bedroom
Austin, Texas
The capital of Texas,
Austin is the state's fourth-largest city and the 16th largest
in the United States. The city was selected as the #2 Best Big City in
"Best Places to Live" according to Money magazine in
2006. Thousands of graduates each year from the engineering and computer
science programs at The University of Texas at Austin provide a
steady source of young, talented, and driven employees that help to fuel
the city's technology and defense industry sectors. Austin's official
slogan is "The Live Music Capital of the World," as it has a
vibrant live music scene boasting more music venues per capita than any
other US city. Austin ranks fifth for free Wi-Fi. Hot nightspots
include South Congress, the Sixth Street music corridor and the Warehouse
District. See the Austin,
TX - Online Yellow Pages for more information.
Where to rent: South Austin, Downtown
What you'll pay: $500-$800 a month for a one-bedroom, $700-$1,200 for a two-bedroom
(one-bedrooms start at $800 downtown)
Denver, Colorado
Denver — Colorado's
capital — is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its
official elevation is exactly one mile above sea level. The city claims
to have the 10th largest central business district in the United States.
The Denver Metropolitan Area has more federal workers than any
other metropolitan area except for Washington,
D.C. Along with the plethora of federal agencies are many companies
based on US defense and space projects. The technology bust in the new
millennium caused Denver to lose many of high-tech jobs. However,
the area has started making a comeback, with the October 2005 unemployment
at 4.7% the lowest since September of 2001. Among Denver's attractions
are a good light-rail system and a top-20 ranking for free Wi-Fi. See
the Denver,
CO - Online Yellow Pages for more information.
Where to rent: Lower Downtown (LoDo), Highland, West Highland
What you'll pay: $700-$800 a month for a one-bedroom, $900-$1,200 for a two-bedroom;
under the housing program, $800 for a one-bedroom loft
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The largest city in Minnesota,
Minneapolis adjoins Saint
Paul, the state's capital. It is the primary business center in
the vast expanse between Chicago
and Seattle.
Availability of Wi-Fi, transportation solutions, medical trials, university
research and development expenditures, advanced degrees held by the work
force, and energy conservation are so far above the national average that
in 2005, Popular Science named Minneapolis the "Top Tech City"
in the US. Minneapolis also ranked as the country's number two
best city in a 2006 Kiplinger's poll of Smart Places to Live. The region
is second only to New
York City in live theater per capita, and is the third-largest
theater market in the US. The Minneapolis park system has been
called the best-designed, best-financed and best-maintained in America.
The collegiate scene is dominated by the main campus of the University
of Minnesota where more than 50,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional
students attend 20 colleges, schools, and institutes. See the Minneapolis,
MN - Online Yellow Pages for more information.
Where to rent: Uptown, Northeast, North Loop
What you'll pay: $600-$700 a month for a one-bedroom, $800-$1,100 for a two-bedroom
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital, and Tennessee's
second most populous city, after Memphis.
As the "home of country music," Nashville has become
a major music recording and production center. All of the Big Four record
labels, as well as numerous independent labels, have offices there, mostly
in the Music Row area. As of 2006, Nashville's music industry
is estimated to have a total economic impact of $6.4 billion per year
and to contribute 19,000 jobs to the area. The city is also home to more
than 250 health care companies, including Hospital Corporation of America,
the largest private operator of hospitals in the world. Students rent
in the Belmont/Hillsboro area, near Vanderbilt University. See
the Nashville,
TN - Online Yellow Pages for more information.
Where to rent: Hillsboro/Belmont, West End, Sylvan Park, Green Hills, downtown
What you'll pay: $600-$900 a month for a one-bedroom, $1,000-$1,300 for a two-bedroom,
loft or small house
Raleigh, North Carolina
The capital of North
Carolina, Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks"
for its many oak trees. The city is part of the state's "Research
Triangle," a center of research and textiles. It is a major
retail shipping point for eastern North Carolina and a wholesale
distributing point for food stores. Raleigh is as "hot"
as it gets, thanks to a healthy job market, a billion-dollar downtown
rehab, top universities and plentiful, inexpensive housing. Young locals
eat sushi and listen to blues in Glenwood South, or hit dance parties
in the Warehouse District. See the Raleigh,
NC - Online Yellow Pages for more information.
Where to rent: Duraleigh Road, Cameron Village, downtown
What you'll pay: $650 a month for a one-bedroom, $750 for a two-bedroom, $750-$950
for a two-bedroom house
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